tortured or murdered for refusing to take an oath they could not understand; soldiers were quartered upon the defenceless inhabitants and allowed free license; men were hunted like wild beasts, and shot or gibbeted along the highways. Modern history hardly affords a parallel to the cruelty and oppression under which Scotland groaned for nearly thirty years. And what was the object of all this wickedness? It was to support Episcopacy. It was done for the bishops, and, in a great measure, by them. They were the instigators and supporters of these cruel laws, and of the still more cruel execution of them. Is it any wonder, then, that the Scotch abhorred Episcopacy? It was in their experience identified with despotism, superstition, and irreligion. Their love of Presbyterianism was one with their love of liberty and religion. As the Parliament of Scotland was never a fair representation of the people, the General Assembly of their Church became their great organ for resisting oppression and withstanding the encroachments of their sovereigns. The conflict, therefore, which in England was so long kept up between the Crown and the House of Commons, was in Scotland sustained between the Crown and the Church. This was one reason why the Scotch became so attached to Presbyterianism; this, too, was the reason why the Stuarts hated it, and determined at all hazards to introduce prelacy as an ally to despotism."

The chief period of the so-called Presbyterian persecution in Scotland. was that immediately succeeding the Revolution of 1688, when we do find a wholesale expulsion of the Episcopal clergy, and, so far as it could be done without the use of measures involving the loss of life and limb, an earnest attempt to suppress Episcopacy in Scotland. This, it should be remembered, was immediately at the close of a reign of terror which had existed in that country for twenty-five or thirty years, and was but the fuller carrying out for Scotland of the work of the Revolution. As the calling of the Prince of Orange and the expulsion of James II. was first made possible through the fear of Papacy on the part of the English, so the progress and success of the Revolution was finally assured only by the fixed determination of the Scots to rid themselves of Episcopacy, and to re-establish the popular religion which had been overthrown by Charles. They had infinitely greater cause to fear the bishops of the Anglican Church than their southern neighbors had to fear those of St. Peter's. They had suffered tenfold more from the oppressions of the British pope and his bishops than had the English from those of the pontiff of Rome. In the annals of religious persecution in the British Islands, the crimes of the Roman Catholic Church were but venial compared with the enormities perpetrated through the ambition and malignancy of the prelates and heads of the Established Church of England, by which the Scots were the chief sufferers.12

So far as Scotland was concerned, therefore, the benefits of the Revolution, the success of which that country had rendered possible, would have been wholly lost to it, had the chief provoking cause been left unmolested

and entrenched in a position for working further harm to the cause of human liberty. All the legitimate arguments which may be made to justify the overthrow of papal authority in England, apply with thrice-augmented force to sustain the action of the Scottish people in breaking the wings of those ecclesiastical vampires who had been draining the life-blood of Scotland. Nay, the whole force of the argument in favor of the Protestant Reformation of Christendom must be broken before it can successfully be maintained that the action of the Scottish people in uprooting the Episcopal system was inconsistent with their professed devotion to the cause of religious liberty."

The extent to which the cause of the Covenanters was bound up with that of human liberty and opposed to the united despotism of king and prelate may be shown by the reproduction of the celebrated Queensferry Paper, for their approval of the revolutionary sentiments of which so many of the Scottish martyrs suffered death. The substance of the contents of this document, and the accompanying account of its origin, are copied from the appendix to the Cloud of Witnesses (15th edition, pp. 343-348), as follows: A brief relation of the persecutions and death of that worthy gentleman, Henry Hall of Haughhead, who suffered martyrdom at Queensferry, June 3, 1680.14

Henry Hall of Haughhead, having had religious education, began early to mind a life of holiness; and was of a pious conversation from his youth; he was a zealous opposer of the public resolutions, insomuch that when the minister of the parish where he lived complied with that course, he refused to hear him, and went to Ancrum, to hear Mr. John Livingston. Being oppressed with the malicious persecutions of the curates and other malignants for his nonconformity with the profane courses of abomination, that commenced at the unhappy restoration of that most wicked tyrant Charles II. he was obliged to depart his native country, and go over the border into England in the year 1665, where he was so much renowned for his singular zeal in propagating the gospel among the people, who before his coming among them were very rude and barbarous; but many of them became famous for piety after. In the year 1666, he was taken in his way to Pentland, coming to the assistance of his convenanted brethren, and was imprisoned with some others in Sessford castle, but by the divine goodness he soon escaped thence through the favour of the Earl of Roxburgh, to whom the castle pertained, the said earl being his friend and relation; from which time, till about the year 1679, he lived peaceably in England, much beloved of all that knew him, for his concern in propagating the knowledge of Christ in that country; insomuch that his blameless and shining christian conversation, drew reverence and esteem from his very enemies. But about the year 1678, the heat of the persecution in Scotland obliging many to wander up and down through Northumberland and other places; one colonel Struthers intended to seize any Scotsman he could find in those parts; and meeting with Thomas Ker of Hayhope, one of Henry Hall's nearest intimates, he was engaged in that encounter upon the account of the said Thomas Ker, who was killed there : upon which account, he was forced to return to Scotland, and wandered up and down during the hottest time of the persecution, mostly with Mr. Richard Cameron and Mr. Donald Cargil, during which time, besides his many

other christian virtues, he signalized himself for a real zeal in defence of the persecuted gospel preached in the fields, and gave several proofs of his valour and courage, particularly at Rutherglen, Drumclog, Glasgow, and Bothwell-bridge; whereupon being forefaulted and violently pursued, to eschew the violent hands of his indefatigable persecutors, he was forced to go over to Holland; where he had not stayed long, when his zeal for the persecuted interest of Christ, and his tender sympathy with the afflicted remnant of his covenanted brethren in Scotland, then wandering through the desolate caverns and dens of the earth, drew him home, choosing rather to undergo the utmost efforts of persecuting fury, than to live at ease when Joseph was in affliction, making Moses' generous choice, rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, that he might be a partaker of the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, than to enjoy that momentary pleasure the ease of the world could afford; nor was he much concerned with the riches of the world, for he stood not to give his ground to hold the prohibited fieldpreachings upon, when none else would do it; he was a lover and follower of the faithfully preached gospel, and was always against the indulgence; he was with Mr. Richard Cameron at those meetings where he was censured.

About a quarter of a year after his return from Holland, being in company with the Rev. Mr. Donald Cargil, they were taken notice of by two blood-hounds the curates of Borrowstounness and Carridden, who went to Middleton, governor of Blackness-castle, and informed him of them; who having consulted with these blood-thirsty ruffians, ordered his soldiers to follow him at a distance by two or three together, with convenient intervals for avoiding suspicion; and he (the said Middleton) and his man riding up, observed where they alighted and stabled their horses; and coming to them, pretended a great deal of kindness and civilities to Mr. Donald Cargil and him, desiring that they might have a glass of wine together. When they were set, and had taken each a glass, Middleton laid hands on them, and told them they were his prisoners, commanding in the king's name all the people of the house to assist, which they all refused, save a certain waiter, through whose means the governor got the gates shut till the soldiers came up; and when the women of the town, rising to the rescue of the prisoners, had broke up the outer gate, Henry Hall, after some scuffle with the governor in the house, making his escape by the gate, received his mortal blow upon his head, with a carbine by Thomas George, waiter, and being conveyed out of the town by the assistance of the women, walked some pretty space of way upon his feet, but unable to speak much, save only that he made some short reflection upon a woman that interposed between him and the governor, hindered him to kill the governor, and so to make his escape timeously. So soon as he fainted, the women carried him to a house in the country, and notwithstanding the care of surgeons, he never recovered the power of speaking more. General Dalziel being advertised, came with a party of the guards, and carried him to Edinburgh; he died by the way: his corpse they carried to the Cannongate tolbooth, and kept him there three days without burial, though a number of friends convened for that effect, and thereafter they caused bury him clandestinely in the night. Such was the fury of these limbs of antichrist, that having killed the witnesses, they would not suffer their dead bodies to be decently put in graves.

There was found upon him the rude draught of a paper containing a mutual engagement to stand to the necessary duty of the day against its stated enemies; which was called by the persecutors, Mr. Cargil's convenant, and frequently in the foregoing testimonies, the Queensferry paper, because

there it was seized by the enemies. This paper Divine Providence seems to have made as it were the dying words and testimony of that worthy gentleman; and the enemies made it one of the captious and ensnaring questions they constantly put to the sufferers, and therefore it will not be impertinent here to insert the heads of it, as they are compendized by the learned author of The Hind Let Loose, page 133. For it was still owned by Mr. Donald Cargil, that the draught was not digested and polished, as it was intended, and therefore it will be so far from being a wrong to recite the heads of it only, that it is really a piece of justice done him, who never intended it should see the world as it was when the enemies found it. I shall not pretend to justify every expression in it, but rather submit it entirely to better judgments; nor did the sufferers for most part adhere to it, without the limitation (so far as it was agreeable to the Word of God, and our national covenants) and in so far as it seems to import a purpose of assuming to themselves a magistratical authority, their practice declares all along, that they did not undertand it in that sense :

The tenor of it was an engagement,

Ist, To avouch the only true and living God to be their God, and to close with his way of redemption by his son Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is only to be relied upon for justification; and to take the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the only object of faith, and rule of conversation in all things. 2d, To establish in the land righteousness and religion, in the truth of its doctrine, purity and power of its worship, discipline and government, and to free the church of God of the corruption of Prelacy, on the one hand, and the thraldom of Erastianism on the other. 3d, To persevere in the doctrine of the reformed churches, especially that of Scotland, and in the worship prescribed in the Scriptures, without the inventions, adornings, and corruptions of men; and in the Presbyterian government, exercised in sessions, presbyteries, synods and general assemblies, as a distinct government from the civil, and distinctly to be exercised, not after a carnal manner, by plurality of votes, or authority of a single person, but according to the Word of God, making and carrying the sentence. 4th, To endeavour the overthrow of the kingdom of darkness, and whatsoever is contrary to the kingdom of Christ, especially idolatry and popery in all its articles, and the overthrow of that power that hath established and upheld it—And to execute righteousness and judgment impartially, according to the Word of God, and degree of offences, upon the committers of these things especially, to-wit, blasphemy, idolatry, atheism, buggery, sorcery, perjury, uncleanness, profanation of the Lord's day, oppression and malignancy. 5th, Seriously considering, there is no more speedy way of relaxation from the wrath of God, than hath ever lien upon the land since it engaged with these rulers, but of rejecting them, who hath so manifestly rejected God,-disclaiming his covenant-governing contrary to all right laws, divine and human-and contrary to all the ends of government, by enacting and commanding impieties, injuries and robberies, to the denying of God his due, and the subjects theirs; so that instead of government, godliness, and peace, there is nothing but rapine, tumult, and blood, which cannot be called a government, but a lustful rage-and they cannot be called governors, but public grassators and land judgments, which all ought to set themselves against, as they would do against pestilence, sword, and famine, raging amongst them-Seeing they have stopped the course of the law and justice against blasphemers, idolaters, atheists, buggerers, murderers, incestuous and adulterous persons - and have made butcheries on the Lord's people, sold them as slaves,

imprisoned, forfeited, &c. and that upon no other account, but their maintaining Christ's right of ruling over their consciences, against the usurpations of men. Therefore, easily solving the objections: First, Of our ancestors obliging the nation to this race and line; that they did not buy their liberty with our thraldom, nor could they bind their children to anything so much to their prejudice, and against natural liberty, (being a benefit next to life, if not in some regard above it) which is not an engagement to moral things: they could only bind to that government, which they esteemed the best for common good; which reason ceasing, we are free to choose another, if we find it more conducible for that end. Second, Of the covenant binding to defend the king; that that obligation is only in his maintenance of the true covenanted reformation,-which homage they cannot now require upon the account of the covenant which they have renounced and disclaimed; and upon no other ground we are bound to them-the crown not being an inheritance, that passeth from father to son, without the consent of tenants. Third, Of the hope of their returning from these courses, whereof there is none, seeing they have so often declared their purposes of persevering in them. And suppose they should dissemble a repentance, supposing also they might be pardoned for that which is done - from whose guiltiness the land cannot be cleansed, but by executing God's righteous judgments upon them, -yet they cannot now be believed after they have violated all that human wisdom could devise to bind them.

Upon these accounts they reject that king, and those associate with him in the government,—and declare them henceforth no lawful rulers, as they had declared them to be no lawful subjects,-they having destroyed the established religion, overturned the fundamental laws of the kingdom, taken away Christ's church-government, and changed the civil into tyranny, where none are associate in partaking of the government, but only those who will be found by justice guilty as criminals. And declare they shall, God giving them power, set up government and governors according to the Word of God, and the qualifications required, Exodus xviii. 20-And shall not commit the government to any single person or lineal succession, being not tyed as the Jews were to one single family, and that kind being liable to most inconveniences, and aptest to degenerate tyranny. And moreover, that these men set over them, shall be engaged to govern, principally by that civil and judicial law, (not that which is any way typical) given by God to his people Israel-as the best, so far as it goes, being given by God-especially in matters of life and death, and other things so far as they reach, and are consistent with christian liberty-exempting divorces and polygamy, &c.

6th, Seeing the greatest part of ministers not only were defective in preaching against the rulers for overthrowing religion-but hindered others also who were willing, and censured some that did it—and have voted for acceptation of that liberty, founded upon, and given by virtue of that blasphemously arrogate and usurped power-and appeared before their courts to accept of it, and to be enacted and authorized their ministers-whereby they have become ministers of men, and bound to be answerable to them as they will. And have preached for the lawfulness of paying that tribute, declared to be imposed for the bearing down of the true worship of God.And advised poor prisoners to subscribe that bond,-which if it were universally subscribed, they should close that door, which the Lord hath made use of in all the churches of Europe, for casting off the yoke of the whore, -and stop all regress of men, when once brought under tyranny, to recover their liberty again.-They declare they neither can nor will hear them &c.,